Apple Baklava

A twist on Amy's version http://www.amybites.com/?p=1962

I wonder what would happen if you chopped instead of slicing the apple but my husband said he like being able to identify the apples. I didn't think the phyllo was that difficult to handle but I could see where it could be. We have high humidity right now so it probably wasn't drying out so fast.

My husband's friend who is a chef said it was apple strudel. http://chefinyou.com/2009/05/austrian-apple-strudel/ . From the picture it appear that the dough is rolled around the filling rather than being built in layers in a 13x9 like baklava. Strudel appears that it may be sprinkled with powdered sugar and doesn't seem to have the sugar syrup put on after coming out of the oven.

OK so here is my version. I bet if I used rice paper I could make the recipe gluten free. I don't think you need to be all that exact with the amount of ingredients in the recipe. I bet you could use other nuts and other seasonal fruit too.

Butter 13x9 pan
Bake 45 min at 350F
Use butter flavored oil spray between layers
1 roll of 20 sheets of phyllo dough (Thawed. Follow directions on package.)

Process in food processor then divide into 3 parts

• 16 oz bag walnuts
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 t cinnamon

Chop up 4 apples (Don't need to peel)
Sprinkle with some fresh lemon juice to keep from browning
Combine with 2/3 of nut mixture.

Sugar syrup - To put on after baklava comes out of oven. Helps hold it together so want it to be sticky. Can make while baklava is cooking in oven. Make syrup in microwave in large mixing bowl.

Microwave in 1 minute intervals until sugar dissolves

• 1.75c sugar
• 1/4 c brown sugar (I didn't have honey which might help syrup be stickier.)
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 c water

 Add and microwave in 1 minute intervals until syrup thickens

• 1 t fresh lemon juice

Now put the baklava together.

Layer 1 - Bottom

• Lay 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of 13x9pan. Don't worry if it's too big. Just fold it over. Spray with butter flavored vegetable oil.
•  Repeat with 4 more sheets
•  Put down 1/2 of apple/nut mixture

Layer 2 - Middle; Repeat Layer 1




Layer 3 -

• 5 sheets phyllo dough, sprayed in between with butter flavored vegetable oil
•  Put down remaining 1/3 of nut mixture

Top Crust

• 5 sheet phyllo dough, sprayed in between with butter flavored vegetable oil

Slice into squares
Bake 45 min/ 350F. Will lightly brown in last 5 minutes.
Pour over sticky sugar syrup when you remove baklava from oven
Someone told me they used phyllo dough to roll around a meat filling. 

baked meat balls

grate the following or process in food processor (veggies keep it more moist)
4 carrot
2 celery sticks
green pepper
onion
2-4 garlic cloves

Add to
2# ground beef
about 2-3 cups oatmeal
2-3 eggs lightly beaten
salt
pepper

form into small balls, bake 20 minutes at 350F

can store in freezer and use as needed. Makes about 100 small meat balls.

can put in tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, mushroom soup, white sauce with mushrooms.......

whatever you feel like 

Crustless onion potatoe quiche - naturally gluten free

• Cook a sliced onion in good olive oil in paper towel covered pie pan until softens and loses sharp taste
• Cook about 4 peeled sliced potatoes in good tasting olive oil in pie pan until tender.
• Combine cooked onion and potatoes together
• Season with salt and pepper
• Beat about 6 or so eggs in bowl. 
• Combine with cooked onion and potatoes in pie pan
• Cover with foil.
• Cook about 1 hour at 350F until center is cooked.
• Can serve in pie pan or turn out onto a plate once cool.

Some food I cooked for my niece's graduation party

Prepped a lot food last night.
meatballs baked in oven to be covered in BBQ sauce in crockpot
crustless potato onion quiche based on spanish tortilla
deviled eggs - see deviled eggs.com for the best way to make boiled eggs

rice krispy treats with and without melted chocolate topping
apple baklava

My husband cut up veggies and made chicken wings.

My sister is taking care of the rest.

Chopped Cabbage Salad in oil & balsamic vinegar (Coleslaw?)

Mix to taste in a bowl

• Balsamic vinegar (2 parts?)
• Olive oil (2 part?)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Celery seed
  
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Brown sugar (about 1 tsp)

Then add & mix in

• 1/2 finely chopped cabbage
  
• 1 very small onion finely chopped
  
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 green pepper finely chopped (optional)
  

Kapusta (Grandpa's Slovak cabbage soup revised)

Brown on high heat in medium large cooking pot, both sides of

• about 1# country ribs with bone (traditionally port neck bones are used)
• in some olive oil

Along with

• 1 large sliced onion

Deglaze pot with

• juice from 1 large can of whole tomatoes

roughly chop in half and add

• tomatoes from above can of whole tomatoes
• water to cover if you like more stew-like, more if you like it soup-like.
  
• couple cloves of chopped or sliced garlic (optional)
  

Let everything cook till meat is falling off bones about 4-6 hours or so.

At this point you can let it cool down overnight so can take off fat and remove bones if you wish, or you can continue on. (Traditionally fat & bones are left in soup.)

Brown the following in dry pan to the color of cinnamon (Careful. Don't burn it! Can shake pan and/or use metal - not plastic- spatula to continuously move flour around. It's like a roux without the fat.)

• 1/2 - 1 cup regular white wheat flour (Haven't tried making with a GF flour yet. Maybe sorghum would work?)

Once flour is browned, mix with water till it forms a paste. Then add paste through a strainer to kapusta (soup) to prevent lumps. Bring it to a boil to thicken.

Add to taste while it's coming to a boil

• Salt (about a tsp)
  
• Pepper (I usually cover the top quite heavy)
  
• about 1 tsp unsweetened special dark cocoa (optional. Very nontraditional. I just like it.)
• Some vinegar (white wine or whatever) if you use cabbage instead of sauerkraut
  

Then mix in

• 1/2 regular size cabbage thinly sliced (or can use Sauerkraut)
  

Turn off the heat & cover. This keeps the cabbage crunchy & sweet which is probably not traditional but I like it that way.

Fruit & Nut Salad

8 oz fat free yogurt
sugar abt 1/2t
salt

onion, abt 1 T chopped
celery, 1 stalk

apple, 1 sliced
orange, 1
lemon juice, 1/4
grapes, abt 8

walnuts, abt 2T